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This list of super-cheap train and coach deals will help you cut travel costs to the bone – sometimes to just £1 each way.

We check with companies' press offices that deals are open to all, but policies can change, so check before booking. These are just one-off promos - for top techniques to cut any journey’s cost, see Cheap Trains.

Shop safely

New Deals

Budget coach travel provider Megabus* is offering 1,000s of 'free' one-way tickets on 90+ routes across England, Scotland and Wales for travel between Mon 9 Jan and Thu 9 Feb. You'll just need to pay a 50p booking fee per transaction, not per ticket.

Megabus says there are ‘free’ seats randomly spread across all of its services (excluding journeys between Oxford and Cambridge and between Hull and Leeds), seven days a week, so it will involve a bit of trial and error to find the ‘free’ fares.

How to find the 'free' seats

Tickets are released 60 days before travel (regardless if you're booking or travelling on a weekend). As the ‘free’ tickets on popular routes are likely to be snapped up within hours of release, you’ll have to be quick off the mark and be flexible on times and dates to bag a 'free' fare.

After you've selected your route and travel dates, any coach with 'free' tickets available will show the price as '£0.00' (see image). For return trips, Megabus tickets are booked as two singles – if you're lucky, you could find a 'free' seat for both legs of your journey.

While 20,000 free tickets were originally included in the promotion, there were 8,000 remaining as of Tue 6 Dec. It sounds like a lot, but they can still take some finding as services will have a different number of 'free' seats available. Megabus says the tickets are released in batches of at least 550 every day, so if you can't find a 'free' ticket one day, don't give up, as one might appear later in the promo.When we checked a few routes on Mon 28 Nov, we found these 'free' fares:

London Victoria to Bristol, departing at 10am on Thu 11 Jan

Cardiff to Birmingham, departing at 6.35am on Tue 24 Jan

Newcastle to Edinburgh, departing at 4pm on Fri 27 Jan

If you can't find any 'free' seats, most routes start from £1, plus the 50p booking fee, but can cost a lot more depending on the route and when you're booking.

If you have a 16-25 Railcard you can get 50% off advance single fares on Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western) trains when booking online until 11.59pm on Sat 31 Dec – though you can book travel up to 31 Jan 2017.

A 16-25 Railcard gets 34% off most fares if you're under 26 (or over 26 and in full-time education), so this is an extra 16% boost to the usual discount.

Advance single fares are available on selected trains – these are marked with a red asterisk and 'online discount' (*online discount) at the train selection stage. These fares can be booked up to 6pm the day before travel, and are non-refundable.

You can only get this offer online via the link above, not at the station.

The 16-25 Railcard normally costs £30 for one year or £70 for three years, but occasionally it has codes to get it cheaper. If you have enough Tesco Clubcard points, you can exchange them to get 50% off a 16-25 Railcard, and NUS cardholders can get 12% off an annual card. See our Railcard deals page.

If you go online to Megabus*, if you get lucky, you can book rail and coach travel across the UK and Europe from £1 each way (plus 50p booking fee, so from £2.50 return). We've spotted cheap fares for travel in December on some routes – it's worth checking back regularly.

It offers cheap tickets on coaches (Megabus), trains (Megatrain) and a combination of the two (Megaplusbus).

These £1 fares sell out quickly, so try to book months in advance where possible, be flexible with your dates and be prepared to travel at unsociable hours. Even if you miss out on £1 deals, we found many £10 and under singles which aren't bad. See the Megabus route map.

Example £1 each way fares

When we checked on Tue 25 Oct, £1 single tickets were available on routes from:

Megabus:

Manchester to London, departs 5.40pm Sun 11 Dec.

Birmingham to Bristol, departs 8.10am Wed 28 Dec.

Newcastle to Edinburgh, departs 4.05am Fri 9 Dec.

Megabusplus (bus and train split journey):

Hull to London via East Midlands Parkway (where you change to the train), departs 9.20am Fri 9 Dec.

How to book them

The sub-£10 deals, if available, should appear as normal. Simply choose where you're travelling from and to and select "all" under "travelling by" to show results for both bus and train.

Megabus has told us tickets are released for destinations in waves, usually about a month and a half before travel date, so keep checking back for later tickets if they're not available on your chosen route yet.

Important! Ensure you know how to shop safely before trying these deals

DOs:

For safety, pay by credit card if over £100

Protect purchases under £100

DON'Ts:

Use unfamiliar sites without checking

Let your antivirus run out

Full DOs and DON'Ts

Tips for shopping safely

Whether it's a retailer or restaurateur, airline or air-conditioner seller, computer shop or car rental company, there are always two main risks. Either it's a dodgy company, or it's a legit company that has financial problems and goes bust.

The aim of these tips is to help you minimise the risks.

What happens if a company goes bust?

Quite simply, its customers are immediately transformed into creditors. This hits hardest if you've ordered goods or tickets from them, and not had delivery, as then you become one of a line of people trying to get your money back out of the company's assets, and you usually get back much less than you paid in.

Even if you've had delivery, if the company you bought from goes under and there's a problem with the goods, it can mean you've no comeback.

While MoneySavingExpert.com endeavours to check deals are valid, we don't check companies ' finances. Even huge names like MFI and Woolies have folded, so it's very important you use the right strategies to stay protected where possible.

DO Pay by credit card for goods over £100

Unlike debit cards, cheques or cash, pay in full or part (even just £1) on a credit card and by law the lender's jointly liable with the retailer.

This means you have exactly the same rights with the card company as you do with the retailer. So if it goes bust, you can simply take your complaints there instead and get money back if there's no delivery.

Yet it's important you ALWAYS REPAY IN FULL each month, so there's no interest cost. See the full Section 75 guide.

DO Protect purchases under £100

Section 75 doesn't apply to purchases under £100, but there's still an option which can help. It isn't a legal protection, just Visa, Mastercard and Amex's rules, but it's a good back-up.

Spend on a Visa, Mastercard or Amex credit card or any debit or charge card. If the goods don't appear, you can try to ask your bank/card provider to reclaim the cash from the seller's bank, so long as you complain within 120 days of realising there’s a problem. See the Chargeback guide for full details.

DON'T Use unfamiliar sites without checking

Bogus websites are often set up to cash in on popular products like Ugg boots and Tiffany necklaces, so be wary if it's an unfamiliar site. And don't think that because it appears on a reputable search engine, that makes it a reputable site - always check.

DO Check the site's legit

Most folk know to look for a security padlock on the bottom right of a website, but that doesn't mean the site's legit, just that payment's secure.

To find out who registered the site and when, search the Whois database. Reputable firms should also appear on the Companies House site, the UK Government's official companies register. Be very wary of businesses with just a PO Box or email address.

Study the site's worldwide web ranking on Alexa. Anything in the top 100,000 means it's reasonably big and a good, though not foolproof indication of legitimacy. Do a quick Google search for other shoppers' experiences.

DON'T Let your antivirus run out

Crucially, ensure your security's up-to-date - free software can be downloaded to your computer in about five minutes. Full details in the Free Antivirus Software guide.

DO Know your cooling off rights

Many people are surprised to learn you've MORE rights buying online (or by telephone/catalogue) due to the Consumer Contracts Regulations.

These give you a legal right to send most goods back within 14 days for a full refund (including outward delivery costs), even if there's no fault. You'll usually need to pay for the return delivery. Read Consumer Rights for a full guide.

However, of course, this is balanced by the fact ordering online automatically means there's a time gap between ordering and delivering - when the company has your money. So if it goes bust during that time, the cancellation rights don't help.

DO Understand sometimes there's no protection.

Ultimately, there is always a risk that a company can go bust. If the above routes don't apply, then you have to make a decision about whether you're willing to take the risk of parting with your cash.

Don't be scared of this. Every day we all make transactions based on trust, and this is part of that, but do balance up the amount you're spending against the risk. Don't give large amounts of money to a company you're not sure about.

Train Deals

Up to four kids (aged five to 15) can travel for £1 each return off-peak on Southeastern trains when accompanied by one adult.

Tickets can be booked in advance or on the day online or from ticket offices (not machines) and the child's fare will be automatically discounted. It's valid on open and day returns on mainline and high speed services, but not on journeys wholly within London.

To book a £1 kids' ticket:

Child ticket must be booked at the same time as an adult with an off-peak, super off-peak or season ticket

Valid all weekend and bank holidays

Valid on journeys starting after 9.30am Mon-Fri, but trains into London must arrive after 10am

Railcard discounts can be used for the adult ticket, but not the £1 kids' tickets. See the full T&Cs.

Buy an advance ticket to travel with Southern Railway for less than £10 each way. Southern has released over a million tickets priced at £5, £8.50 and £12. What makes the offer even better is that it can be used with railcards, so a journey from London to Southampton could cost as little as £7 return.

You can book tickets from 12 weeks in advance, up to 6pm the night before you travel. Tickets are released each week, so booking in advance gives you more of a chance to find the £5 seats.

You'll need to register with Southern before buying tickets online and tickets can be collected two hours later at your chosen station. Offer excludes Gatwick Express services and the Oxted, Metro and Redhill routes. See the route map here.

Advance tickets are only valid on the specific date and time of train you book. Tickets are non-refundable, except those that are bought online and not collected - see Money Back Guarantee for more info.

Two offers (one more publicised than the other) get over-60s living in London free or super cheap travel.

Freedom Pass. FREE travel on London’s public transport. If you live in London and are the right age, the Freedom Pass gives you free travel on London’s public transport, including the Tube, buses, National Rail, DLR and Overground.

It's hard to state a definitive age for who's eligible - so use the Freedom Pass Calculator then apply online or go to your local Post Office.

All other over-60s. Pay £20 for nearly unlimited travel on Tube, buses and more. To fill the gap if you can’t get the Freedom Pass, the 60+ Oyster card gives you free travel most of the time on London’s public transport, including National Rail. When you turn 60, pay a one-off admin fee of £20 and get a card which lasts until you're eligible for a Freedom Pass.

Forumite cwc1899 posted: "My husband who recently turned 60 has to get two buses each way to work, at a cost of £4.40 per day/ £22 per week/ £1,144 per year. This will save my husband a minimum of £1,124 per year and more as he can use it at any time." Add your 60+ travel saving to the Cheap UK Travel Dealsdiscussion thread.

MSE Rhiannon says:

Both these are absolutely cracking deals so if you’re over 60 and living in London, it's a no-brainer to apply. Even if you only use the 60+ Oyster card for a year before reaching Freedom Pass age, you could save hundreds of pounds if you travel daily.

Any time on TfL buses, Tube, DLR, tram, London Overground and after 9.30am on weekdays, all day at weekends on National Rail services (all day weekdays on some lines - see theFreedom Pass map for more).

Free travel with the 60+ Oyster card includes the following services:

Bus, tube, tram, DLR and London Overground: Any time

National Rail services: From 9.30am weekdays, any time on weekends and public holidays on most services, including to Dartford and Swanley. It's valid at any time on some National Rail services, see the 60+ Travel map for full details of where you can use the card.

It's not available for those who are eligible for an older or disabled person's Freedom Pass, who have a Veterans' Oyster photocard, are under 60 years old and those who don't live in a London borough. See the full T&Cs.

When two adults travel together on the Greater Anglia network on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, the second passenger gets 50% off their ticket cost. So split it between you and you can each save 25%.

You can get the offer online or by quoting the 'Duo tickets' offer at ticket offices.

It's valid on super off-peak day returns only, on the Greater Anglia route south of Manningtree/Harwich and the Cambridge to London routes. London to Stansted Airport is also included. See the Greater Anglia route map.

The offer is not available for journeys wholly within the area bounded by London Fare Zones 1-6 plus Theobalds Grove, Waltham Cross, Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Brentwood and Shenfield. Unfortunately, when there are engineering works taking place, you won't be able to get the discount.

If you go via the Gatwick Express Web Duo* page you can get 35% off an anytime return ticket when two passengers travel together from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport.

With an anytime return ticket, your return journey must be within a month of your outbound journey. These tickets usually cost £34.90 each, so you're getting them both for a total of £44.70 (usually £69.80).

Return journeys must start from London Victoria (not valid for return journeys starting from Gatwick). Two adults must travel together at the same time in both directions. Excludes first class and kids. Can't be combined with railcards or other offers.

By converting Tesco Clubcard points into Tesco Rewards*, every £5 is worth £10 on rail site RedSpottedHanky. Be sure to check for individual operators' sales, as RedSpottedHanky's system doesn't usually factor in sale prices.

While worth 1p in store, Clubcard points values are up to quadrupled when converted to Tesco Rewards*, which include days out, magazine subscriptions, holidays etc; eg, Alton Towers ticket for £11.50 of points, or a year's Company mag subscription for £8.

Other deals can be better value than going via RedSpottedHanky, but if you're buying them anyway, and don't need any other deals, it's a good conversion. Read more in the Loyalty Points Boosting guide.

Get a 16-25, Family & Friends, Senior or Two Together railcard via Tesco Rewards* for £15 in Tesco Clubcard points instead of the usual £30. You'll be sent a code that can be used on the Railcard.

What discounts do the railcards get you?

16-25:A third off fares if you're aged 16 and over and under 26. Family & Friends: A third off adult and 60% off child fares, a minimum of one adult and one child, and a maximum of up to four adults and four children (age 5-15) can travel using one card.Senior: Those aged 60 and over get a third off rail fares.Two Together:A third off rail fares for two named adults when they travel together.

While worth 1p in store, Clubcard points values are up to quadrupled when converted to Tesco Rewards*, which include days out, magazine subscriptions, holidays etc.

Other deals can be better value than the railcards but if you're buying them anyway, and don't need any other deals, it's a good conversion. Read more in the Loyalty Points Boosting guide. Also, check the railcard site for restrictions and to ensure you're eligible before exchanging your vouchers.

As it's an off-peak ticket valid for one day, you can travel any time including weekends and bank holidays. It can also be used on weekdays, but not before 10am or between 4.15pm-7.15pm when boarding trains from East Croydon and London stations such as Victoria, London Bridge and Clapham Junction.

Railcards and other discounts can't be used with this offer and it excludes Gatwick Express services. Tickets can't be refunded or exchanged.

Book online at Gatwick Express* for "anytime" and "day" returns on the non-stop London Victoria-Gatwick Airport route. The discount will be applied automatically. See full T&Cs

You can book for travel up to 12 weeks in advance and your ticket can be sent via email and/or to your mobile (though not if you're returning the same day). There's no booking fee.

We've heard print at home tickets sometimes state the return date as being the same as the outward journey. Gatwick Express has said your outward and return journeys must be within one calendar month of the date on your ticket.

If you book online at Gatwick Express* for the non-stop London Victoria-Gatwick Airport route you can get 10% off. The discount will be applied automatically. You can book for travel up to three months in advance and your ticket can be sent via email and/or to your mobile. There's no booking fee.

Bus & Coach Deals

If you're travelling by train in England, Scotland or Wales, Plusbus gives you unlimited day travel by bus or tram in the town or city you're travelling to. Plusbus day tickets for over 290 locations can be bought from £2 (most are between £2.50 and £4) if you buy online from one of the rail firms listed on the Plusbus site or at the station.

You can buy Plusbus tickets for the start of your journey or the end of it, or both. See the Plusbus route map for a full list of where you can use the cheap tickets.

Railcard holders can get an extra third off their day fare. Some restrictions apply, check 'more info' for the details.

You can now earn loyalty points when you buy Arriva bus season tickets or Smartrider smart cards via loyalty points scheme MyIce. You'll earn 3 Ice points for every £2 you spend. Each Ice point is worth 1p, which can be spent on further season tickets.

The season tickets and smartcards are sent out by post or can be collected from electronic ticket machines. Postage cost depends on method chosen.

Get single adult coach tickets between London and Oxford for £15 (£18rtn), single student and over-60s tickets for £11 (£14 rtn) or under-16s for £7.50 (£9rtns) on the Oxford Tube Coach service. Pickups and drops-offs are from London, Hillingdon, Lewknor and Oxford.

You can buy tickets and passes for a month in advance from the driver and the service's full range of tickets can be bought on the Oxford Tube website, by phone or from the Gloucester Green travel shop.

Grab Megabus tickets using Tesco Clubcard vouchers*. Every £5 in vouchers gets you £10 worth of rewards, in the form of four £2.50 token codes. Valid on all routes, including trips to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Boulogne and Megatrain routes. There's a 50p booking fee payable by card.

Before spending, use Martin's Mantras. If you answer 'NO' to any, Don't buy!

are you

Skint?
ask:

Do I need it?

Can I afford it?

are you

not skint?
ask:

Will I use it?

Is it worth it?

Free protection for all shopping!

There's a little-known piece of legislation that turns any credit card into a financial self-defence superhero. 'Section 75' of the Consumer Credit Act means your plastic must protect anything you buy for more than £100 for free, so if there's a problem or the company goes bust, you can still get your money back.

And although Section 75 doesn't apply to debit cards, there is something else to fall back on if you've paid using a debit card, or used a credit card for a purchase under £100. Known as Chargeback, this is part of banks' and card companies' internal rules and not a legal requirement. Read full details of Section 75 or Chargeback, plus how to claim, in our guides.

If a link has a * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site.

You shouldn't notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How This Site Is Financed.

How this site works

We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of the site. We're a journalistic website and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques, but can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.

We don't AS a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned (how likely they are to go bust), but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips).

We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content.

Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.

MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the MoneySupermarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally-binding MSE Editorial Code.